We all enjoy having a good time on the Fourth of July, and we want you to be safe during this holiday season. Each 4th of July season about 9,500 people are injured from fireworks.
Always purchase fireworks from a reputable service, never make your own. Do not allow children to play with fireworks unsupervised; even adolescents should be supervised. Most injuries with adolescents are from shooting fireworks at each other or throwing them at each other. This can be deadly in some cases, but serious in others with eye injuries as well as burns.
It is recommended you use eye protection during shooting fireworks. Never use a cigarette as a lighting device. Always use a lighter or a device specifically designed for lighting fireworks. Many injuries can occur from misfired—or a dud—firework. People should never try to relight a dud. Always wait 20 minutes and then immerse any spent fireworks in a bucket of water.
It is important as a part of the safety features with fireworks, we all enjoy having a good time but if you’re the one shooting the fireworks you should avoid alcohol. Alcohol and fireworks don’t mix.
Most of our young children enjoy sparklers. Sparklers actually heat to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to melt gold. So sparklers in the hand of two- and three-year-olds is not a good idea. Waving a sparkler, even for the kids who are seven or eight is not recommended.
If an injury should occur, you should go straight to the emergency room if it involves an eye. Don’t let the child rub their eyes or put anything in the eyes. Depending on the debris that went into the eye, you should cover it immediately with a plastic cup that you’ve taken out the bottom and just protect the eye. Again, keep the child from rubbing his eye because that can cause more damage to occur. Simple burns can be treated in Urgent Cares. If you have any questions go straight to the emergency room.
The most important part of firework safety is to use common sense. If you’ll use common sense—supervise your children, supervise your adolescents—many of the injuries can be prevented.
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